Improvement in boots and shoes



. -2 She'ets- -Sheet I.

W. E. PRUSHA & E. L. WALES.

. improvement in Boots and Shoes.-

No. 114340. Patented May 2,1871;

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. E. PRUSHA & E. L. WALES.

Improvement in Boots and Shoes. NO. "41340. I Patented May 2,1871.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

WILLIAM F. PRUSHA AND ELISHA L. WALES, OE MARLBOROUGH, MASS, ASSIGNORSTO THEMSELVES AND LEWIS A. HOWE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 114,340, dated May 2,1871.

To all whom i may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM F. PRUSHA and ELIsHA L. Hints, ofMarlborough, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain Improvements in Boots and Shoes, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, making part of this specification, in which-Figure l is a perspective view of a shoe made in accordance with ourinvention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the same. Fig. 3is a perspective view of the sole and the projecting portion, the heelbeing formed in one and the same piece therewith. Fig. tis a centralvertical section through the same.

The object of our invention is to cheapen the manufacture of boots andshoes, and at the same time enable us to produce a superior article; andour invention consists in molding or striking up a leather sole with aprojectin g portion, to which the upper is secured by rivets, stitching,or otherwise, the sole being finished, and, together with the projectingportion, perfectly shaped to fit the foot at the time it is molded, anda crease or indentation simultaneously formed, to represent the divisionbetween the upper and the sole of an ordinary boot or shoe, by whichconstruction the inner sole is dispensed with, together with theoperation of lasting, and also the labor of trimming and finishing theedge of the outer sole, while the boot is pliable and easy to the foot;and our invention also consists in forming a leather tip or protector atthe toe of the boot or shoe by molding or striking it up in one and thesame piece with the outer sole, the crease to represent the divisionbetween the upper and the sole being formed at the same time; and ourinvention also consists in extending the projecting portion of the soleup at the heel, whereby we are enabled to dispense with the counter orstitt'enin g usually employed; and our invention furthermore consists inmolding or striking up a leather heel in one and the same piece with theouter sole, the hollow heel so formed being after filled with anysuitable material.

To enable others skilled in the art to unden stand and use ourinvention, we will proceed to describe the manner in which we havecarried it out.

In the said drawin A represents the sole of shoe. This sole is formed ofa piece of leather cut to the proper shape, and then compressed when wetin a suitable die, which gives it the form seen in the drawing, with aprojecting portion, 1), turned up all around its edge, the portion 1),and also the sole, being finished and perfectly shaped to fit the footat the time it is molded or struck up, while a crease or indentation, c,is also made at the same operation, to represent the division-linebetween the upper and the sole of an ordinary boot or shoe. This creasecan be made to represent on the outside any desired thickness of sole.

Previous to putting the leather in the die the edge which forms theportion bis skived down, so as to leave it of less thickness than thesole. After the sole has been removed from the die the upper B issecured to the projecting portion b by means of rivets, stitching, or inany other suitable manner, which operation finishes the shoe, and leavesit as seen in Fig. 1.

The inner sole of an ordinary boot or shoe adds nothing to its wear, butis required in order that the different parts may be properly securedtogether, and can only be dispensed I with in a turned shoe.

Our improved construction, however, eua bles us to dispense with theinner sole entirely, thus effecting a saving of stock, while theoperation of lasting and the labor of trimming and finishing the edge ofthe outer sole are also dispensed with, resulting in a considera blesaving of labor.

A thin lining, d, of any suitable material, is pasted upon the inside ofthe sole A, to give the interior of the shoe a neat and finishedappearance.

The portion b serves to protect the shoe all around its edge, and whenout so as to extend up at the toe, as seen at c in the drawing, itserves as a leather toe tip or protector, which is molded or formed inone and the same piece with the outer sole, A, and with a crease orindentation, to represent the division between the sole and the upper.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the portion 1) is cut so as to extend up at the heel,as seen at f, thereby forming a stiffening, and enabling us to dis pensewith the separate counter or stiffener with some suitable cheapmaterial.

It is evident that, instead of striking up the portion 1) entirelyaround the sole, it may be 7 formed to extend up from one or moreportions only of the sole-for instance, at the toe to form a tip, or atthe heel to form a stiffener, or both, the upper being secured to theremaining portion of the sole by pegs or stitching, in the ordinarymanner. In such case, however, an inner sole would be required.

Claims.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentas an improvement in the manufacture-of boots and shoes, 1s

1. A leather sole with a projecting portion struck up having a crease orindentation, 0, and to which the upper is secured, substantially in themanner and for the purpose described.

2. A leather toe tip or projection struck up in one and the same piecewith the outer sole, and with a crease or indentation, a, substantiallyas set forth.

3. A leather heel-shell struck up in one and the same piece withrtheouter sole, substantially as set forth.

Witness our hands this 3d day of March, A. D. 1871.

WILLIAM F. PRUSHA. ELISHA L. WALES.

Witnesses:

LEWIS A. How, JAMES E. HODGKISS.

